Defining and measuring the occupational performance of children

ABSTRACT

Occupational performance assessments of children are essential for guiding occupational therapy intervention and for measuring the effectiveness of occupational therapy services for children. A review of relevant research and of occupational performance assessments designed for children was conducted to determine and describe how the occupational performance of children has been conceptualized and measured. The results indicated that more consistency with the ways in which occupational performance is being conceptualized by occupational scientists and within the occupational therapy profession is needed. A conceptual model for understanding and defining occupational performance was proposed and described. This model may be useful for assisting researchers in the development of new instruments for measuring occupational performance. In addition, how the model may be used by occupational therapists to describe what they refer to as occupational performance and to guide their evaluations of children are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Occupation
• function
• evaluation
• adaptive behavior

Acknowledgments

The author would like to thank the UNH OT graduate students from OT 886 Research Engagement for discussing and sharing their ideas about measuring occupational performance and for their contributions to the development of many of the ideas presented in this manuscript.